


ruby to gold

by canondeath (bluelions)



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Banter, Established Relationship, Idiots in Love, Knight Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), M/M, Prince Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29819622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluelions/pseuds/canondeath
Summary: Dream is Sapnap’s prince, but Sapnap isn’t quite Dream’s knight. When Dream leaves for political business these thoughts quietly consume him. Affirmation comes in the sweet, honeyed form of promised adventure (or, according to Dream, a date with swords and axes).
Relationships: Clay | Dream/Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 42





	ruby to gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can we get some pogs in the chat for prince!dream and knight!sapnap
> 
> i'm very excited for this one! it was honestly supposed to be one scene, and then it devolved into a multi-chaptered thing where that one particular scene won't come up until the end...
> 
> first chapter is a bit dialogue heavy

By all of Sapnap’s knowledge, Dream should not be here. It’s Thursday and the sun’s just begun to warm the morning frost away, right around when his literature studies begin. Immediately after he’d meet with another tutor for history lessons, break for a short snack, and then hole up in the library with George until his meetings with the queen and her advisors. Sapnap knows he’ll probably choose to eat the fruit platter because produce is shipped on Wednesdays, and he knows Dream will find some way to upset George before running away to pretend he isn’t a giant jerk.

He knows, he knows, he knows – from the taste of berry on his lips, from the drone of conversation when they walk down the halls, from the surge and tide of this castle –  _ Dream _ .

Sapnap knows so intimately that when Dream, in full regalia, pops his head around the corner, the hilt of his sword slips and Karl is sending him into the dirt. He blinks up at his fellow knight, shocked.  _ What is he doing here? _

“No way,” Karl breathes. “ _ The _ Sapnap lost to Karl Jacobs?”

Hell, Sapnap can’t believe it either as Dream’s chuckle catches the wind. He scrambles up onto his feet and jabs his blade at Karl. “What- No, that does  _ not _ count! I was distracted!”

He dances around his stabbing before finally noticing their crown prince lingering at the outskirts of the training field. His face morphs into a sly grin that Sapnap doesn’t like.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. It’s going up on the board,” Karl says dismissively before waving Dream over. “Dream!”

“Oh, you are so annoying.”

“Did you see me absolutely destroy Sapnap?”

“Hello, I did,” Dream says with a warm smile. It’s almost enough to be forgiven for the loss he caused.

“What are you even doing here?” Sapnap asks, trying to withhold his petulance. His eyes rake over him once. “Actually, where are you  _ going _ ?”

Dream doesn’t flinch as both knights inspect him. He’s all dressed up in his fitted trousers and silk blouse. His coat is heavy, made for warmth, and his cape is a lovely shade of blossoming red, made for instilling awe in all who greet him. Even his face has been touched with makeup around the eyes. The shimmer almost rivals the glint of the crown resting on his head.

“Actually, that’s what I came here to talk about. Sort of.”

Dream casts Karl an apologetic glance, but he takes it in stride. He shakes his head and heaves an exaggerated sigh.

“Fine, fine, just keep the kissy-kissy to a minimum,” Karl laments, and then he takes Sapnap’s sword to free his hands.

They watch him return to the knights’ hall.

“Is this where you tell me you’re off to see the princess you’re supposed to marry in the future?” Sapnap immediately asks, eyeing him suspiciously.

Dream barks out a loud laugh that clouds the morning air. “Don’t be ridiculous!”

He closes the distance between them, and Sapnap watches his face turn soft. A hand reaches out and curls around Sapnap’s forearm while the other sneaks around his waist. Secure.

“What, that’s a perfectly reasonable assumption.” Sapnap reaches out to smooth his fingers down Dream’s chest to his belly. He doesn’t tense beneath his touch, simply allows the pressure to travel down a familiar course. Of course, Dream had left his expensive, tailored coat wide open. He clicks his tongue and sets to work slowly buttoning him up.

“You’re so stupid,” Dream says. Sapnap expects him to go on, but instead he grabs his wrist and brings his hand to his lips. He kisses the base of his palm then the knuckle of his ring finger. It’s an embarrassing gesture; it’s a  _ traditional _ gesture, yet it sends a blinding grin on his face either way.

“Alright then, Mr. Bachelor,” Sapnap teases.

Dream rolls his eyes. “That’s  _ Prince _ Bachelor to you.”

“Oh, yeah?” Sapnap flicks his wrist and claps his hand over Dream’s mouth, watching with giddy satisfaction the way his eyes widen in surprise. He squeezes his cheeks together with his fingers to make his lips pout out. “Who’s my little princey boy, huh?”

“Wh’t th’ fuh!”

It quickly escalates into a grappling match as Dream fights to get out of his grip. They throw lighthearted punches at each other, yelping when they pull too hard at clothes or hair. It’s probably poor judgement on their end considering Dream’s apparently all dressed up to go somewhere. Sapnap suddenly remembers this just as Dream threatens to toss him away like a sack of flour.

“Okay, okay, pause! Timeout!” Sapnap yells.

“Oh, you sore loser,” Dream grumbles, but he obeys anyway and sets him down. His clothes are all rumpled, and there’s sweat beading at his forehead. Sapnap would feel bad, but he reasons his crown is still intact, and that’s arguably more important all things considered.

“You haven’t told me why the hell you’re here.”

He grimaces in remembrance. “A last-minute offer for a unique trade route was arranged by the Antarctic Empire. It’s complicated though; they’re asking for protection over a nether portal near the Schlatt Regime. You know how it is,” Dream explains.

“Schlatt’s not gonna like anybody poking around,” Sapnap comments. “If he even hears wind of this, he’ll be at our damn gates.”

Dream heaves a heavy sigh that ages him a few years. “Exactly, which is why our council is set to play nice and  _ visit _ for a bit, but it’s really just pretense for negotiations. We’ll be doing a bit of diplomatic sightseeing and charity, maybe Wilbur will be there. When we get back, whatever the outcome is, it’s straight to business.”

The boyish charm he’d earned from their roughhousing has hardened in a matter of seconds, years of straight-backed assemblies and experience in the political ring surfacing. He’s untouchable with his off-center crown and rigid shoulders, and Sapnap still has the urge to cradle him, to muss his sandy hair and hold his hand.

“So you’ll be pretty occupied then, huh?” Sapnap guesses quietly. “For a while.”

Dream hums in confirmation. “I will. But I had this planned out, alright?” he says, and with a flamboyant hand adds, “In the past twelve hours I’ve done the calculations.”

It forces a stunted laugh out of Sapnap. “Okay, let’s hear it then.”

“We’ll be gone for about seven days and return before noon on the eighth. The council’s a bunch of old geezers–”

“I cannot believe you just called the queen,  _ your mother _ , an old geezer.”

“–so everyone will be tired after a day’s worth of travel, at least until the sun fully sets. I want you to meet me behind the east wing then. Let’s go bounty boarding.”

Bounty boarding. A long time ago, at the raw age of not-quite-teenage and stunted height, Sapnap was a bounty hunter. Then enter Dream. They were both strangers looking for escape and adventure; Dream of a life too strict, Sapnap of a home too broken. At every opportunity, Dream would leave the castle to meet with Sapnap, and they’d find quests – lost items, robbers, hunting parties – to ease their agitation.

Dream looks at him with such hopeful eyes, it makes Sapnap flush. Time has passed, and they’ve since abandoned their excursions and grown into their roles and responsibilities. He almost wants to say no. He wants to argue that Dream should be using that time to rest and that Sapnap can’t just push his daily tasks aside. But he shines so bright.

“Are you down?” Dream prompts, leaning into his space.

Ah, fuck it.

Sapnap grins. “Oh, you know I’m down.”

“Yes!” Dream whoops and brings his fists up in celebration. “It’s gonna be fun, just like old times. It’ll be like our last date for a while-”

A hefty woodchip knocks against the side of Dream’s head, cutting their party short. They whip around and find George standing across the field with his arms crossed.

“Can you hurry up? We have to leave soon!” he yells.

“Okay! Just give me a sec!”

“Ugh.” They can’t see him roll his eyes through the goggles, but the way he stomps off makes his irritation clear.

Dream turns back to him with a sense of urgency but a softer smile. Sapnap opens his arms, and they fall into each other to fit perfectly. It feels dramatic for an occasion that happens so often. They’ve gone weeks to months without seeing each other, orbiting dutifully, longing quietly. Frequency is no cure for dread, however.

  
  


Dream leans in for a kiss but Sapnap stays stubbornly still, letting him mouth over closed lips for a solid five seconds.

“Nope. You made me lose to Karl.”

“Oh, come on now.”

Dream cards his fingers through Sapnap’s hair then twirls the long ends of his headband. He cocks his head just so with his mouth quirked in that stupidly attractive way. Sapnap wants to wipe it off his face so bad just to rid the fondness warming his chest.

He gives in and kisses him, leaving a soft mumble of “I’ll see you soon” on his lips.

Then he’s gone just like that.

Sapnap spends the rest of his remaining free hour sparring and beating Karl Jacobs a number of times. He feels the phantom warmth of Dream’s hands and his face past the sweat he works up once more. It lingers even after they store their weapons and report for patrol duty. Dream lingers.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he acknowledges he hasn’t processed Dream’s departure just yet. Typically, Sapnap gets a bit of forewarning, but countries and kingdoms don’t wait for a lover’s goodbye. So Dream will participate in deciding the future of this country, and Sapnap will wait here for him here in the capital, guarding and protecting everything he will inherit, because that’s all he can and was made to do.

(Later, when Sapnap’s feet take him to Dream’s empty quarters that night, he will take the long way back to the barracks.)

“So what do you do when Dream’s not around?” Karl asks as they round the corner.

Sapnap casts him a confused look and nearly bumps into a child scurrying down the crowded path. He tries to apologize, but the rascal is already lost in the market. Turning back to Karl, he spits out an eloquent, “What?”

Karl Jacobs is new around here; older than Sapnap, yet terribly fresh like a newborn deer. He’s terribly social for someone who has yet to break the surface of patterns and history that weave the foundation the castle network stands upon. Every operation, every new hire, and every shift in the royal family flows through a long-standing member of the Royal SMP. They’re just sand in the hands of powerful people, molded and constantly shifting or inevitably washing out into sea.

So Karl wasn’t around the last time the royal council had left the castle. It completely derails Sapnap’s line of thought.

“Well, you know,” Karl starts, “don’t you miss him? Do you not feel sad? Like, for all we know, the queen could just throw us into war and he’d have to come back to say ‘ _ hey, honeybunches, sorry I took a little vacation, but now you must die for me’ _ .”

“What the hell is that?” Sapnap chokes out with a laugh. “I mean, no? I mean of course I miss him, but I just… there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Karl fixes him with an uncertain gaze that leans to knowing more than Sapnap is aware of. Sapnap forces his own head foreword. He adjusts his chestplate out of habit. His palms are sweaty.

“Yeah, you got me there,” Karl says, and they continue their rounds in the afternoon sun.

Sapnap blinks. What  _ does _ he do without Dream? He can’t imagine acting any different than usual, but then again nobody’s ever asked and nobody’s ever mentioned anything to him. And he knows Karl meant right now, but he can’t help but consider his entire life before him, before knighthood, before this kingdom.

Who is he without Dream?

It bothers Sapnap the rest of the day up until he finally collapses into bed. George wouldn’t ask him that. Punz wouldn’t and neither would Bad.

He curls up on his side. He’d wrapped his palm with his headband and tucks it beneath his chin.

Maybe he’ll talk to Bad about it. Bad was already here when Sapnap joined the forces.

Sapnap falls asleep to a memory of running through the forest with Dream when they were much younger and hungrier for company than ever. Green on green on green.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! second chapter should be up in a couple weeks :]
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated <3
> 
> you can find me on twitter [@ga1eforce](https://twitter.com/ga1eforce)


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